Feeling the rush of the deal...

In the past week or so, I have bought 6 packs of batteries (4pack Cs, Ds, 8 packs AAs) and a caramello bar for total of out of pocket $2.31 plus received $10 Extra care bucks; 4 Neutrogena shaving creams (and 2 caramello bars) for $0 plus $5 extra care bucks; a fusion razor (with 2 blades), a 4 pack of blades for $0 plus $10 ECB.

Yes, my total out of pocket was $2.31 for the following:
6 packs of batteries
3 caramello bars
4 Neutrogena Shaving creams
1 fusion razor plus 2 blades
1 4 pack of fusion blades

And, I still have $10 ECB in my wallet to spend. As you can see, I'm working on a stockpile so I am not forced to buy something that isn't on sale with coupons or on just a plain ridiculous low sale price. Daddy and I were out with the kids one day and I had him run in to CVS for me one trip. I handed him my Extra Care Card and coupons. He was grinning ear to ear when he walked out. He felt the rush of the deal! When I tell him I'm running errands, he doesn't say a word about bringing one of the kids. He's just excited to see the receipt when I get home.

More to come on my couponing adventures...

No, she really didn't dress herself...

Nana and Grandaddy stayed with us for Christmas after we returned fom our NYC trip. Grandaddy was very helpful one morning and decided to help get Sissy dressed. She has on a short-sleeved pink shirt with cherries, denim carpis with pink gingham cuffs, hot-pink socks pulled all of the way up, and her crocs. She was ready to go somewhere so she put on her coat and grabbed her tote bag.

Marsh-a-mallows!

I don't think I've seen a child this excited about a Christmas gift. Santa brought the marshmallows. One package of small, one of large, and one small multi-colored. She couldn't even wait to get her hairbrushed!

All She Wants for Christmas

We started asking Sissy after Thanksgiving what she wanted for Christmas. She responded, "Marshmallows". It's the only the she's said. Over and over. On Friday, we went to the Radio City Christmas show. Sissy was entranced. When she saw Santa come on stage she said, "I want to tell Santa that I want marshmallows. After the show, she was upset that we couldn't go down to tell him. We finally get through to her that we were going to see Santa at Macy's Santaland after lunch. We stood in line for quite a while and she decided that she had to pee right before we got there. I ran her downstairs and just made it to the potty. We ran back upstairs when DH called to let me know that he'd convinced the elves to let him stand to the side and let me rejoin them. They don't let anyone do that. Whew! We get back in line and are routed to 1 of the 6 santas (so smart). Sissy walked up to him holding her brother's hand and said, "Santa bring me marshmallows for Christmas." The Santa was so good and talked to the kids more than any Santa we've ever been to in Richmond. It really helps when you are in a separate room with no one staring. It took a bit of convincing, but we got Sissy up on Santa's knee. We managed two pictures, one without a scowl. We thanked Santa and the Elves and went around to view the pictures. As we are choosing a picture package, Sissy pronounced to the cashier, "Santa bring me marshmallows for Christmas." The manager and cashier got a chuckle. BTW, did you know that Santa is from Brooklyn?

On the train ride home, we had our own Christmas miracle. After moving forward because they were dropping the last 3 cars in DC, we ended up sitting by a young woman that was a Nanny. The kids were sitting together and she was getting a kick out of them. Sissy turned to her and said, "Santa bring me marshmallows for Christmas." For those of you who know her, you know Sissy doesn't talk to just anyone much less start a conversation with someone she doesn't know. They proceeded to have a great conversation where Sissy explained that she wanted pink and white marshmallows. She told the girl about her whole trip. Sissy walked over to me and said, "Say hi mommy. She's a girl." Bud who will talk to the wall joined in. She managed to get the kids to take turns talking without arguing. The last 2 hours of the train ride were so easy thanks to our Christmas angel, Chelsea.

Well, I'm off to buy some marsmallows. Big ones, small ones, and hopefully some pink ones.

Pictures of the trip to come...

It's almost been a month

It's been a crazy few weeks. Lots of new. Hopefully I'm back for more than a handful of posts.

NYC, a blueberry, and an averted ER trip

Bud NEVER stuck anything up his nose (except his finger). Sissy decided that tonight she'd give it a shot. For those of you that don't know, we are in NYC until Sunday with the kids and the in-laws. Without going through the horrid detail, I ended up back at the hotel room with Sissy instead at dinner at Ruby Foo's with the rest of the family. Everything was okay, we were watching a movie and I was working. After the 4th trip to go potty, she ran out of the bathroom while I was going. I found her with the container of dried blueberries I packed for snack. After bringing her back to the bathroom to wash her hands, I really didn't mind her snacking. That was until she informed me that she stuck one up her nose and it wouldn't come out. I tried holding the other nostril and her blowing. Nope. She's now really upset. I call Daddt and told him to get back quickly. I called the front desk for the nearest hospital. Then, I remembered I knew someone with a little experience in this territory. I called my mommy friend, Tiffany, to have her explain the technique for extracating foreign objects from toddler noses. Thank heavens she answered.

Sissy was being a terror at this point. "Stay away. I don't want you." I called Daddy and told him he better get back quick. I told him the technique that Tiffany explained. He at first refused. But when he got back, he'd thought about it. I held her down, put my finger over the opposite nostril, and he put his mouth over hers and blew. Out fell the whole blueberry covered with mucus. I can kind of chuckle about it now, but man I was not laughing then. I did not want to have to go to the ER in New York. Thanks, Tiffany. I just wanted you to know that something positive has come out of your experience!